Research Assistant (Postdoc)

The position is offered for a period of 17 months, if no former times of qualification must be considered, to work on the third-party funded project “ILC2 as central orchestrators in ovarian cancer ascites: crosstalk with tumor, stromal and immune cells”. The starting date is as soon as possible. The position is fulltime with salary and benefits commensurate with a public service position in the state Hesse, Germany (TV-H E 13).

The successful candidate will work on a project investigating immune-tumor-stroma interactions in ovarian cancer, with particular emphasis on group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) and their role in shaping the tumor microenvironment. Key research areas include:

• Crosstalk between ILC2s and tumor/stromal cells
• Modulation of immune responses
• Identification of signaling pathways such as IL-4 / IL-13 à STAT6 , PD-1 / PD-L1 axis, TGF-β signaling

The project combines primary patient-derived samples, co-culture systems, and single-cell transcriptomics.

Tasks:

• scientific services in research
• Design and conduct research projects within the defined framework
• Perform primary cell isolation (e.g., from ascites and blood samples)
• Establish and optimize co-culture systems with tumor and immune cells
• Conduct experiments including:
  • Flow cytometry and cell sorting
  • Molecular biology (qPCR, Western blot)
  • Functional assays (migration, invasion, angiogenesis)
• Analyze and interpret transcriptomic, proteomic datasets
• Contribute to publish results in peer-reviewed journals and present at conferences, as well as supervision of students

The position will be filled by a temporary contract that is limited to the period which is necessary to gain further scientific expertise (such as the preparation for a subsequent qualification period). Within the entrusted tasks the opportunity for independent scientific work to obtain further personal qualification is given. The limitation of the contract complies to Section 2 (1) of the German Academic Fixed-Term Contract Act (WissZeitVG).

Profile:

• MSc-degree or equivalent and a PhD in immunology, cancer biology, molecular biology, or a related field
• Strong background in cellular immunology or tumor biology
• Experience in culturing and phenotyping primary dendritic cells
• Hands-on experience with flow cytometry, cell culture (cell lines, primary tumor cells and immune cells) immune assays, single-cell RNA sequencing, tumor microenvironment studies and primary human samples
• Knowledge of bioinformatics or data analysis tools is an advantage

Disposition to own scientific qualification is expected.

We offer:

• An interesting and wide range of responsibilities
• A variety of creative opportunities and options for personal development
• A certified family-friendly employer, a pass for free use of public transportation in the State Hesse, Germany (Landesticket), and flexibility in scheduling your working hours

We support women and strongly encourage them to apply. In areas where women are underrepresented, female applicants will be preferred in case of equal qualifications. As a certified family-friendly university, we support our employees in balancing family and career. A reduction of working time is possible. Applicants with a disability as discribed in the Social Security Code (Section 2(2) and (3) of Book IX of the Social Security Code (SGB IX)) will be preferred in case of equal qualifications. Application and interview costs can not be refunded.

Please apply by 31 May 2026 using the application-button below.